Triple threat

It's easy to describe Madison McElvany as a doll with her long brown hair, blue eyes and infectious smile.

For those reasons, the 8-year-old was chosen as one of the newest models for American Girl, a company that sells dolls, accessories for dolls, clothes, furniture, books and gifts for girls.

"It's a dream job for me," said Madison, the daughter of Josh and Jayme McElvany of Monroe.

Recently, the company hired her as one of its models, a job she will hold for the next 18 months. She already traveled to Wisconsin twice for two photo shoots. Beginning in September, Madison will be featured in the company's catalog, print advertising at its stores and its Web site located at www.americangirl.com.

The photo shoots included her wearing casual clothes as well as winter attire.

"Hopefully I'll be in the Christmas one, too," she said, referring to the company's Christmas catalog.

Her mother, who traveled with her, said Madison received glowing reviews from the professional photographers.

"They said she was incredible and very talented," she said . "The photographers said they got three times the work done during her shoot because she was so professional."

The modeling gig isn't the only thing going for the third-grader at Custer Elementary School. In fact, she has several other projects she is working on. Currently, she is collaborating with her mother on an upcoming CD of original songs; she is on a competitive dance team for Viva Dance Co.; she is the reigning Little Miss Monroe County and Little Miss Michigan, and she is active in Bully Revolution, a nonprofit organization formed by Madison and her mother with the goal to end bullying.

But that's not all. The budding entertainer also is an actress. She has performed locally on stage in "Annie" and also can be seen in TV commercials and print advertising for numerous companies, such as Art Van, AAA, Henry Ford Health System, Beaumont Hospitals, Molina Healthcare, Chrysler, Old Orchard, Genesis Health Group and Pure Michigan.

"I like acting the best," Madison said of her many pursuits . "But it's really fun when you actually see yourself on TV. That's really cool."

To feel more comfortable in front of a camera, she completed an eight-week acting class in Detroit. To help find her modeling and acting jobs, her parents hired two agents.

"She doesn't like to sit around," her mother said of her daughter's busy schedule. "She's been doing this since she was 3 years old so all this is normal for her."

Her busy schedule outside school is not affecting her school work. As long as her grades stay above average, Madison will continue her goal of making it big in the entertainment world.

"She has a lot of talent so I'm not going to stop her from reaching her goals," Mrs. McElvany said. "If she didn't enjoy it, then we wouldn't do it. But she jumps up and down every time she lands an audition."

Madison's goals are big. She hopes to become a pop star who offers a triple threat of acting, singing and dancing. She compared her goal to the likes of Miley Cyrus and Miranda Cosgrove, who are professional actors and singers.

"I want to be a pop star,' Madison said.

She will test her raw talent early next year, when she will travel to California to audition for roles in TV pilot shows.

"We're going out there to see what happens. We only hear positive things (from agencies and professional photographers) on how she performs so we're going to see where it takes her," Mrs. McElvany said.

Of her many talents, Madison's humility may be her best quality. She doesn't like bringing up her accomplishments to her friends in fear of sounding like she's bragging, and her song lyrics are spiritual. And for the past few years, she's traded birthday presents for donations to give to local children battling serious illnesses.

If she does make it to Hollywood, her mother believes she can make a difference.

"She can be a positive role model. Her image is pure. She sings about God and spirituality and she can become somebody known for doing positive things," she said .

If she does not make it big, Madison has backup plans.

"I want to be a pop star, but if that doesn't work out, then I want to be a fashion designer," Madison said, flashing a smile that shows off her dimples. "I like drawing pictures of clothes. It would be fun to do as a job."

For now, Madison is enjoying acting, modeling, dancing and singing. She also is staying focused on living up to her pageant titles and dancing competitions. As Little Miss Michigan, she will sing during the Miss Michigan Pageant in June.

Through her work ethic and professionalism, it is evident that she has maturity beyond her years. With a five-year career at age 8, she talked about what she has learned so far.

"If you want to be an actor or model, stay true to yourself. If you get rejected, shrug it off and try to do better at the next audition," she said . " It's a lot of hard work, but if you enjoy it, then you'll have fun with it. I am. "

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